Coupling for trailers



y 1932- J. SCHLAGENHAUF 1,859,534

COUPLING FOR TRAILERS Filed Jan. 17, 1930 Patented May 24, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PA ur o tica JOHANN. SCI-ILAGENHAUF, or onnuxon, NEaR'zUn-mn;SWITZERLAND COUPLING FOR RAILERS i i Application filed January 17, 1930,Serial No. 421,498, andin s wit zerlan d January 1929.

The present invention relates to a coupling for trailers used on roads,tramways, railways, etc. Couplings are known wherein an eye provided onthe main vehicle is passed 5 into a guide of the trailer and secured inthis by a bolt which is set in the securing position when the vehiclescollide for example, by means of springs which are released when thevehicles meet. The known couplings of 10 this type have the disadvantagethat when the vehicles pass around curves the coupling parts aresubjected to considerable strain which easily leads to damage of the couling.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate this disadvantageand this is effected in that the guide piece receiving the eye of themain vehicle is pivotally mounted so that the guide afiords an eiiicientand secure guide for the eye when coupling until 2 the locking bolt hascompleted the coupling.

The strains which occur in the known couplings are eliminated in thiscase without in,

any way thereby reducing the efiicient guiding of the parts to becoupled together.

In the accompanying drawings are illustrated examples of construction. v

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of the coupling parts.

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section thereof.

Fig. 3 shows the coupling according to Figs. 1 and 2 when negotiating acurve.

To the draft vehicle there is secured in the known manner by means of arod 2 an eye 1, whilst to the trailer there is secured by means of therod 3 a guide member 4 which at the front passes into a downwardlyinclined widened guide wall 5. The guide 4 is provided with a centralhole into which is fitted a bush 6. On this is mounted a guide bell 8adapted to receive the eye 1. The said bell is semicircular in plan andis flared and widened at its open side or mouth so that the head or eye1 of the rod 2 is guided into the bell and centered or arrangedconcentrically therein as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The dimensions of thebell 8 are so large that the eye 1 finds room therein and when the eye 1has completely entered the bell the hole in the eye coincides with thebore 9 of the Ii-l bush 6. Said bush as will be noted on Fig. 1,

forms the pivot of the bell 8 and keeps the latter always-centeredwhether in coupled or uncoupled condition; For couplingthe two vehiclesthere is provided a-bolt 10, slidably' mounted in a casingll provided onthe guidef member 4. To the bolt is connected a lever 13, subjected tothe action of a spring 12, which lever is pivoted to the guide member 4by means of a pin 14;. The spri'ng12 tends to move the bolt 1 0downwardly into the eye 1. For securing the bolt 10 inthe position shownin Fig. 1 there is provided a pin 15, which is mounted for verticalmovement in a bore of the element 3 and the lower end of which bears ona bolt 16. I Said bolt has an annular diametrically enlarged flange 16and also has a stop flange 16 of less diame: ter than flange 16 andspaced from the front side thereof. Said'bolt 16 is slidably mount-- edin a hole of thegulide 4 and is under the' action of a spring 30 tending'topress the bolt outwardly. The front end of the locking bolt 16 entersa slot 17 of the bell 8 and the flange 16 is adapted to enter a notch 17in the rear side of the element 8 to lock the latter in the positionindicated in Figs. 1 and 2. When the eye 1, on coupling the vehicles,meets the end of the bolt 16, projecting into the interior of the bell,the bolt is moved against the action of the spring 30. A groove betweenthe flanges 16 16 thus brought into the path of the pin 15. The spring12'can now contract and by means of the lever 13 moves the coupling bolt10 downwardly into the hole of the eye 1, both vehicles being nowcoupled together. When negotiating a curve the eye 1 moves for exampleas shown in Fig. 3. It takes with it the hell 8 and the coupling membersare not strained so that the coupling parts are not liable to bedamaged.

The bolt 10 remains secured in'its position outside the eye as the pin15 bears on the bolt 16 so that the spring 12 cannot expand. l/Vhenuncoupling the vehicle the bolt 10 may be raised by means of the handle25, the bolt r 16 then immediately turning back into its lockingposition for the lever 13 under the action of thespring acting thereon.I p

I provide a hand lever 33 pivoted in the guide 4 by means of which thebolt 16 can be moved against the action of the spring 30*. By the lever33 the bolt 10 may be released even if the eye 1 does not reach up tothe face of bolt 16, The eye of a hawser or the likemay be introducedinto the guide bell 8 by hand and coupled to rod 3 by the bolt 10.

What I claim by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. In a trailer coupling, a'coupling head,

a receiving bell for a link pivotally mounted in the said coupling head,a bolt slidably mounted on said head adapted to ,pass through the centerof the bell, means to 0p erate said bolt, said means comprising a springoperated lever, a pin supporting said lever against the action ofthespring, a,

member slidably mountedin the said cou: pling head securing saidreceivingbelhand projecting into the same and adapted to retain saidsupporting pin in initial uncoupled position.

2. In atrailer coupling, a coupling head, a receiving bell for a linkpivotally mounted in the said coupling head, a bolt slidably mounted onsaid head adapted to pass through the center of the bell, means tooperate said bolt, said means comprising a spring operated lever, a pinsupporting said lever againstthe action of the spring, a member'slidably mounted in the saidcoupling head, securing said receivingbell, and projecting into the sameand adapted to retain said supportingpin in initial uncoupled position and a manually operated lever adaptedto operate said member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

, JOHANN SOHLAGENHAUF.

